Missing plane Wawa

[cfall]

https://www.sootoday.com/local-news/two ... st-5271822

[triplebarrel]

here is another recent update from the same reporter.

https://www.sootoday.com/local-news/sea ... ea-5272972

[triplebarrel]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/ ... -1.6422506

another update and after reading the initial story and this one I can finally confirm that both men were pilots. John Fehr (marys brother) is a newly licensed pilot. They went to buy a plane. I know the colorado low that was all over the news started Wednesday noon went hard into Thursday evening then finally tapered off at some point Friday, and that was just where I was. On the radar, she was still significantly strong as she shuffled towards the east. Hope they are ok

[cncpc]

One Sault paper reports this is a Comanche.

[cncpc]

It seems both from Alberta.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/ ... -1.6422506

[JasonE]

Could be. I know there had been a Comanche for sale in Delhi for awhile.

[rookiepilot]

Not nice terrain in that area.

Gotta be pretty high to be in radio contact with centre, as I remember

[JasonE]

I'd probably reactivate my spot if I was flying out that way. I bought it for an east coast trip back in 2016.

[lownslow]

Not nice terrain in that area.

Gotta be pretty high to be in radio contact with centre, as I remember

IIRC there’s an antenna in Wawa but you’re spot on about unforgiving terrain. I used to fly low-ish VFR cross countries over endless rocks and trees but I now treat that terrain like it’s water. Either go high or follow the highway - or both.

[rookiepilot]

Not nice terrain in that area.

Gotta be pretty high to be in radio contact with centre, as I remember

IIRC there’s an antenna in Wawa but you’re spot on about unforgiving terrain. I used to fly low-ish VFR cross countries over endless rocks and trees but I now treat that terrain like it’s water. Either go high or follow the highway - or both.

I’ve gone high over that area direct, Marathon- Elliot Lake so track east of Wawa, also landed there a few times, but then outside that area to the north i guess — its been a few, mind you — .even at 9000 there’s no radio or radar contact. Big gap Wawa to Marathon. (And maybe north of Marathon too…trying to recall)

Always have had 121.50 on comm 2 in case of emergency to call one of the AC planes up above, and a Spot for sure.

Alternates few and far between…can't mess with MVFR in that area….…weather off the lake can get nasty with icing….prayers…

[lownslow]

I’ve gone high over that area direct, Marathon- Elliot Lake so track east of Wawa, also landed there a few times, but then outside that area to the north i guess — its been a few, mind you — .even at 9000 there’s no radio or radar contact. Big gap Wawa to Marathon. (And maybe north of Marathon too…trying to recall)

Always have had 121.50 on comm 2 in case of emergency to call one of the AC planes up above, and a Spot for sure.

Alternates few and far between…can't mess with MVFR in that area….…weather off the lake can get nasty with icing….prayers…

I’ve been plenty high in pressurized multi turbine comfort all around there and VFR in piston singles through that area a few times. I’m too chicken to rely on any one airport along the north shore so I was stuck landing in and gassing up at all of them last summer.

[phillyfan]

After 3 decades of float flying I don't fly outside gliding distance from a road, in my wheelplane anymore.
It makes me feel claustrophobic, even on a sunny day.
Takes me a little longer to get around, but if your in a VFR single engine plane are you really in that big hurry?
The stretch from Sault to Wawa can be unforgiving especially in the winter. More then a few times it has been terrifying for me in a car in the winter.

[broken_slinky]

If you look at the METARs on the 13th, 14th and 15th for Wawa, the Sault and Gore Bay, there's a lot of garbage weather and it wasn't getting better. Even if you could fly over it, any issues where you had to land would not have a good outcome. Especially in the aircraft they were flying. Sadly, if they really had to get home, they should have left the plane in the hangar and flown commercial.

[mosky]

I consider a Spot tracker with a valid subscription to be absolutely required for any flights I fly above anything else. As a minimum, if anything happens whether it's mechanical, weather or whatever, at least someone will find me or the smoking hole quickly and eliminate all the countless hours of family worrying, searchers putting their own lives at risk and expending considerable time and effort, and maybe even save mine and my passenger's lives.
When will Transport get out of the last century and, instead of having us all waste money bench testing an ELT every two years that only works in 30% of crashes and let us put that money towards an active satellite tracker that you KNOW works cause you can watch the bread crumbs as you fly?
I suppose someday the space based ADS-B will fill that role at an exponentially higher cost but how many more searches, days of anguish and worry and lost lives will happen before that?
It's simple - anywhere out of the GTA radar coverage is sparse do something for yourself and invest in one and use it on every flight.

[mosky]

If you were the family or the search crews what track would you rather have to follow?

[rookiepilot]

If you look at the METARs on the 13th, 14th and 15th for Wawa, the Sault and Gore Bay, there's a lot of garbage weather and it wasn't getting better. Even if you could fly over it, any issues where you had to land would not have a good outcome. Especially in the aircraft they were flying. Sadly, if they really had to get home, they should have left the plane in the hangar and flown commercial.

Why do people fly in shit weather in remote areas in a bug smasher?

I'm being a jerk -- for reading the same thing over and over again.

Huge difference what I will do south of Sudbury (preferably, Barrie) vs north.

And three backups for up north, even in perfect weather:

406, Spot, Flight Plan filed, and responsible person texted with routing.

Or fly through the US!

I hope all you flight instructors take your students up in 1 mile vis. It's a lot worse than it sounds.

[photofly]

When will Transport get out of the last century and, instead of having us all waste money bench testing an ELT every two years that only works in 30% of crashes and let us put that money towards an active satellite tracker that you KNOW works cause you can watch the bread crumbs as you fly?
I suppose someday the space based ADS-B will fill that role at an exponentially higher cost but how many more searches, days of anguish and worry and lost lives will happen before that?
It's simple - anywhere out of the GTA radar coverage is sparse do something for yourself and invest in one and use it on every flight.

You’re not keeping up. Satellite ADSB will be compulsory for more or less all airplanes in Canada from 2026. And you’re paying.

Be careful what you wish for.

[RatherBeFlying]

If you have the range, Ft. Frances to Sault Ste. Marie can take you over less problematic terrain without having to stop for customs.

And there's lots more airports if weather, fuel or mechanical concerns surface.

For the time being, I believe pre-arrival supervised Covid tests are not required for cross border travel (do your own research as that can change in a blink).

ArriveCan works much better on the website than the app, caveat during the short time pre-arrival test not required last year.

[Schooner69A]

"Satellite ADSB will be compulsory for more or less all airplanes in Canada from 2026"

My brother just bought the tail-mounted uAvionix transmitter. I'll probably follow suit... (Installing on RVs...)

[karmutzen]

My brother just bought the tail-mounted uAvionix transmitter. I'll probably follow suit... (Installing on RVs...)

Will that be compatible with the mandated Canadian standard? Looks inexpensive, but not sure it's a fit for the satellite-based ADSB. Flown into the US a few times recently, and skirting the occasional 30mi ring is inconvenient.

ADSB does leave a nice breadcrumb trail though, even better that the 2 minute Spot, InReach, Spidertrack, Skytrak though any of those are light years ahead of the old ELT mandate.

If every search could be focused to the most recent tracking ping, would the outcome improve? Would the money saved on searches buy everyone a tracking device?

[boeingboy]

My brother just bought the tail-mounted uAvionix transmitter. I'll probably follow suit... (Installing on RVs...)

Will that be compatible with the mandated Canadian standard? Looks inexpensive, but not sure it's a fit for the satellite-based ADSB. Flown into the US a few times recently, and skirting the occasional 30mi ring is inconvenient.

ADSB does leave a nice breadcrumb trail though, even better that the 2 minute Spot, InReach, Spidertrack, Skytrak though any of those are light years ahead of the old ELT mandate.

If every search could be focused to the most recent tracking ping, would the outcome improve? Would the money saved on searches buy everyone a tracking device?

Tailbeacon X is certified for the mandate.

[flyingdutch]

From the Trenton JRCC twitter feed: After 10 days of searching, #JRCCTrenton has made the difficult decision to suspend the search for a missing Piper Comanche with 2 persons on board. Our thoughts are with family and friends at this difficult time.

[fish4life]

This is why it amazes me that ELT’s are mandatory and expensive but a spot is cheap and will leave a breadcrum right to where you last were

[J31]

Quote: "April 24, 2022 –Canadian Armed Forces - The Air Task Force flew 360 hours and covered approximately 17,300 square kilometers during the search."

I agree. A SPOT or Garmin inReasch transmitting positions would reduce the search area considerably. At 180 mph that search area could have been reduced to less than 2500 square kilometers.

[piperdriver]

Does anyone know if they stopped for fuel in CYAM or CYEL?